337results about "Installations with capacitive energy storage" patented technology

Output optical energy pulses including relatively high energy magnitudes at the beginning of each pulse are disclosed. As a result of the relatively high energy magnitudes which lead each pulse, the leading edge of each pulse includes a relatively large slope. This slope is preferably greater than or equal to 5. Additionally, the full-width half-max value of the output optical energy distributions are between 0.025 and 250 microseconds and, more preferably, are about 70 microseconds. A flashlamp is used to drive the laser system, and a current is used to drive the flashlamp. A flashlamp current generating circuit includes a solid core inductor which has an inductance of 50 microhenries and a capacitor which has a capacitance of 50 microfarads.

A constant voltage dimmable LED (Light Emitting Diode) driver is disclosed that is compatible with all types of dimmers, including conventional phase cut (TRIAC) dimmers, and behaves like a conventional constant voltage driver which can be connected to any size of LED load that has a matching voltage rating. The driver produces a continuous train of pulses for driving the LED load and obtains an averaged measure of the voltage at the AC input for controlling the duty cycle of the continuous train of pulses. Therefore, when the averaged measure of the voltage at the AC input is reduced by a dimmer, the duty cycle reduces, resulting in a dimmed LED. The driver can be created by adding a few components to a conventional wide input range AC-DC converter without or with very little modifications.

In a multiple discharge ignition control apparatus, a battery, an energy storage coil and a first IGBT are connected in series. Further, the energy storage coil, a diode, a primary coil and a second IGBT are connected in series. The energy storage coil is connected with a capacitor through the diode, and a secondary coil is connected with a spark plug and a resistor for current detection. An ignition control circuit switches the IGBTs between ON and OFF each time the secondary current detected by the resistor reaches a positive or negative discharge holding current in multiple discharge operation. A booster circuit is provided in addition to the energy storage coil and its output is feedback-controlled.

An ignition system providing power and duration controlled ignition spark, comprises a spark controller, first switching energy accumulator, storage capacitor, and second switching energy accumulator with an ignition coil. The ignition system utilizes dual means of switching energy accumulation, internal energy transfer, and three means of energy release to the ignition spark, working in all possible combinations managed by means of the spark controller depending on engine operating conditions, and provides continuous bipolar ignition spark. Spark profile is regulated by means of control signals (2) and (3) based on their frequency, duty cycle, interrelation, and running time.

An ignition circuit and a method of operating an igniter (preferably a traveling spark igniter) in an internal combustion engine, including a high pressure engine. A high voltage is applied to electrodes of the igniter, sufficient to cause breakdown to occur between the electrodes, resulting in a high current electrical discharge in the igniter, over a surface of an isolator between the electrodes, and formation of a plasma kernel in a fuel-air mixture adjacent said surface. Following breakdown, a sequence of one or more lower voltage and lower current pulses is applied to said electrodes, with a low “simmer” current being sustained through the plasma between pulses, preventing total plasma recombination and allowing the plasma kernel to move toward a free end of the electrodes with each pulse.

A spark-ignited, internal combustion engine ignition device to increase electrical transfer efficiency of the ignition by peaking the electrical power of the spark during the streamer phase of spark creation and improving combustion quality, incorporating an electrode design and materials to reduce electrode erosion due to high power discharge, an insulator provided with capacitive plates to peak the electrical current of the spark discharge, and concomitant methods.

A plasma ignition system has an electromagnetic noise reduction circuit in addition to a discharge power circuit, a plasma generating power circuit, a plasma ignition plug, a discharging wire and a plasma generating wire. The noise reduction circuit includes a first rectifier connected to the discharging wire, a second rectifier connected to the plasma generating wire, and a noise reducing capacitor connected in parallel to the second rectifier. The noise reduction circuit is disposed close to the ignition plug so that the noise reducing capacitor bypasses only high frequency noise currents generated when the ignition plug discharges.

An ignition system (10) comprises a spark plug (12) having a first end (14) defining a spark gap (16) between a first electrode (18) and a second electrode (20). A transformer (46) comprising a primary winding 44 and a secondary winding (50) also forms part of the system. The secondary winding is connected in a secondary circuit to the first electrode 18 and the secondary winding has a resistance of less than 1 kΩ and an inductance of less than 0.25 H. A drive circuit (26) is connected to the primary winding.

A high efficiency high voltage ignition coil with segmented high voltage bobbin (15) with the last few bays (16,17,18) having fewer secondary winding turns than the average and thicker flanges separating the bays, and further including an inductor (20) of inductance at least 0.5 mH with a core material which is lossy in the 100 KHz to 1 MHz range, the inductor located between the end of the high voltage winding and the spark gap (7b) so as to reduce the peak voltages across the last few high voltage bays immediately following the spark gap breakdown.

A plasma ignition system includes an ignition plug attached to an engine and having a center electrode, a ground electrode, and a discharge space, a discharge power source circuit, a plasma generation power source circuit, a resistance element between the discharge power source circuit and the center electrode, a rectifying device between the plasma generation power source circuit and the center electrode, and an element receiving portion in a periphery of the center electrode. The plug puts gas in the discharge space into a plasma state to ignite a fuel / air mixture in the engine, as a result of application of high voltage to the plug by the discharge power source circuit and supply of high current to the plug by the plasma generation power source circuit. The resistance element and the rectifying device are placed in the receiving portion.

A capacitive discharge ignition (CDI) system that can be used with a variety of light-duty internal combustion engines, including those typically employed by lawn, garden, and other outdoor equipment. According to one embodiment, the CDI system includes an ignition module having a first switching device that shorts a charge coil during an initial portion of a charge cycle. Subsequently, the first switching device is turned ‘off’ so that a flyback charging technique charges an ignition capacitor. A second switching device is then used to discharge the ignition capacitor and initiate the combustion process.

The invention relates to a method for igniting a fuel-air mixture in an internal combustion engine. An electric transformer excites an oscillating circuit connected to a secondary winding of the transformer. A capacitor is formed by an ignition electrode together with the wall of a combustion chamber through which it extends. The excitation of the oscillating circuit is controlled by generating a corona discharge igniting the fuel-air mixture. Before each ignition time the voltage applied to a primary winding of the transformer is incrementally increased, and the intensity of the current flowing in the primary winding is measured repeatedly at the same primary voltage. The variation of the values of the related primary current is determined, and the incremental increase in the primary voltage is aborted at a value thereof at which the variation of the primary current intensity reaches or exceeds a predetermined limit.

An inverter controller dives an inverter to operate at a switching frequency selectively from one of a preheating frequency (f1), a starting frequency (f2), and a lighting frequency (f3) which are different from each other, thereby giving a preheating mode, a starting mode, and a lighting mode. A reset means is provided to make the starting mode upon lowering of a voltage supplied to the inverter below a first threshold, while an inverter stop means is provided to stop the inverter upon detection of abnormality of a discharge lamp. A timer generates a signal determining the start of the preheating, starting, and / or lighting modes, and generates a reset signal disable signal for disabling the reset means, an inverter stop disable signal for disabling the inverter stop means. The inverter controller includes a frequency sweep means for varying the switching frequency gradually from the starting frequency to the lighting frequency. The timer disables the reset means only during a period starting from the selection of the preheating frequency and ending when the switching frequency varies to the lighting frequency, and disable the inverter stop means only during a period starting from the selection of the preheating frequency and ending when the switching frequency begins to vary from the starting frequency to the lighting frequency.

An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes: an ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil that are magnetically coupled to each other; a first switch element for turning on and off a current to the primary coil; and a spark plug, for igniting an air-fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine by using a spark discharge caused by switching the first switch element from the ON state to the OFF state. The internal combustion engine control apparatus is configured to: determine occurrence of one of an abnormality in a discharge voltage and a misfire of the spark plug, when the calculated time duration in which a voltage of the primary coil after the switching of the first switch element from the ON state to the OFF state is above a predetermined comparison reference voltage does not fall within an allowable range.

A process and device for controlling the heating of the glow plugs of a diesel engine. To be able to take into consideration the thermal behavior of the glow plugs while controlling the current supply of the glow plugs (3) of a diesel engine, the thermal behavior of the glow plugs (3) is emulated via a physical model. Formed on the corresponding output signal of the model (4), which is proportional to the glow plug temperature, is a reference signal, which as a control value, lies on the electronic control (12) controlling the heating flow of the glow plugs (3), which accordingly controls the heating of the glow plugs (3) using the actual glow plug temperature determined from emulation.

A capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) system includes a trigger circuit that generates a trigger signal in synchronism with operation of an engine for discharging an ignition capacitor. A timing circuit is connected to the trigger circuit for controlling the timing of the trigger signal and includes a timing coil for generating a timing signal in synchronism with operation of the engine. The timing circuit further includes a switch that has primary electrodes connected to the trigger circuit and a control electrode coupled to the timing coil for shorting the trigger circuit as a function of engine speed. The CDI system is thus capable of advancing engine timing to enable low-speed startup. The timing circuit is further adaptable to provide skip-spark speed-governing, timing retard speed-governing, and anti-reverse rotation of the engine.

Capacitive discharge system for ignitors of internal combustion engines with one ignition coil (T) per ignitor with one or more capacitors (6) and shunt switch means (5) associated with each such coil, together forming a coil primary ignition circuit of Type II topology and resonance oscillation capability, each switch means being a series combination of shunt diode (D) means and switch (SD) across the coils primary winding, with a voltage drop element (Vdb) across switch SD, the system constructed to produce capacitive ignition initial spark discharge of duration less than a quarter period of the resonance oscillation of the primary ignition circuit followed by an essentially triangular distribution decaying spark discharge of longer duration than the initial discharge, with switch SD to be turned off near or after spark circuit zero to divert residual primary discharge circuit through the voltage drop element.

A multi-spark ignition system for an internal combustion engine includes ignition coils each of which is mounted on one of spark plugs of an engine, an energy storing circuit, switching elements that repeatedly discharge electric energy stored by the energy storing circuit into the primary coil of the ignition coils; and a control circuit that controls the energy storing circuit and the switching elements according to consolidated signals each of which includes an energy storing command signal for storing electric energy into the energy storing circuit and a joint energy discharging period command signal for discharging the electric energy by the one of the spark plugs.

A capacitor discharge ignition device for an internal combustion engine including: idling time advance angle control permission condition determination means for determining whether an idling time advance angle control permission condition is met that is a condition for permitting control to advance an ignition position during idling immediately after completion of the start of the engine in order to stabilize idling immediately after completion of the start of the internal combustion engine; and idling time advance angle control means for advancing the ignition position during idling immediately after completion of the start of the internal combustion engine when it is determined that the idling time advance angle control permission condition is met.

There is provided an internal-combustion engine that allows plasma to be used safely, efficiently, and in a manner conducive to resource conservation. An internal-combustion engine having an intake valve for opening and closing a combustion chamber, the internal-combustion engine comprising a valve-driving mechanism for driving the intake valve; and a plasma-generating device positioned within a region containing gas used for combustion during a combustion stroke, the plasma-generating device being composed of an antenna and a microwave-generating device, wherein the plasma-generating device composed of the antenna and the microwave-generating device generates plasma at a timing intimately associated with a state of openness of the intake valve in response to the driving of the valve by the valve-driving mechanism.

In a current fed electronic ballast multiple lamps are operated in a parallel circuit arrangement. The ballast provides pre-heating to the cathodes of the lamps for a period of time before an open circuit voltage is ramped up to the preferred starting voltage of the lamps. An open circuit voltage controller times coordinates the pre-heating and the operating voltage. After the pre-heating phase, current is removed from the cathodes of the lamps so that electricity is not wasted to the cathodes while the lamps are lit. A single switch is used to switch cathode pre-heating on and off, regardless of how many lamps the ballast operates. A decoupling array of diodes allows the single switch to coordinate pre-heating to all the lamps.

A multiplexing drive circuit for an AC ignition system having a common leg that includes two switches coupled in series, and one or more dedicated legs, wherein each leg includes two switches coupled in series. The multiplexing drive circuit also includes a transformer for each of the one or more dedicated legs, each transformer having a primary winding coupled between one of the one or more dedicated legs and the common leg, and wherein each transformer has a secondary winding coupled in parallel to a spark plug, and a pulse-width modulated (PWM) switch controller configured to operate the common leg and dedicated leg switches to control characteristics of the spark discharge for the spark plug.

There is provided an ignition timing control system for a variable-cylinder internal combustion engine, which is capable of optimally reducing torque before the start of fuel cut-off operation, irrespective of whether the engine is in an all-cylinder operation mode or a partial-cylinder operation mode, thereby reducing shock caused by the fuel cut-off operation. When the internal combustion engine is operated under deceleration operating conditions, the start of cut-off of fuel supply is delayed for a predetermined time period, and ignition timing is corrected when the cut-off of fuel supply is being delayed for the predetermined time period. The amount of correction of the ignition timing is set to a different value depending on the operation mode.

A current of sufficient size to form plasma at ignition of a plasma jet ignition plug flows to a spark discharge gap while suppressing noise occurrence.There is provided an ignition apparatus of a plasma jet ignition plug, which includes a resistor R1, with one end connected to a diode D1 disposed between the plasma jet ignition plug 100 and a high-voltage generation circuit 210 and with the other end electrically connected to a center electrode 40 of the plasma jet ignition plug 100, and a capacitor C1, with one end connected to the center electrode 40 of the plasma jet ignition plug 100 and with the other end grounded.

The invention discloses a high-energy monomode plasma ignition system capable of detecting ionization, comprising a boosting transformer composed of a primary winding and a secondary winding; a single energy source connected with the primary winding, wherein the single energy source is a capacitor; a spark plug gap connected with the secondary winding, wherein the energy generated by the capacitor generates sparks in the spark plug gap after passing through the primary winding and the secondary winding; an additional circuit, wherein one end of the circuit is connected with the primary discharging end of the capacitor and the other end of the circuit is connected with the spark plug gap. The capacitance energy source can be used to generate primary high-voltage sparks and puncture the spark plug gap, and also provide subsequent currents to continue burning of the high-energy plasma arc. In comparison with the current ignition systems, the plasma ignition system combined with the ionization detection can produce needed high-energy sparks by just one capacitor to ignite gas-oil mixtures, and maintain the high voltage which generates the ionization current, and is convenient to be installed together with a coil ignition system on a spark plug. The plasma ignition system has advantages of small volume, high cost efficiency and so on.

A device to control the charging rate of an ignition coil for an internal combustion spark ignition engine. The device controls the turn-on rate of the primary coil by slew-rate limiting using switching devices and a Miller-effect capacitor in order to reduce secondary oscillation magnitudes originated by a sharp transition of the controlling switch.

The invention simplifies the structure of a magneto generator and stabilizes the operation of an internal combustion engine at the time of start-up, thereby providing an ignition device simplified in structure and reduced in size and providing improved safety to the internal combustion engine. In an ignition device for a capacitive discharge internal combustion engine, an ignition timing signal is calculated with a cycle detection signal obtained at a timing at which a forward voltage portion of an output voltage from a generator coil has reached a cycle detection voltage for making continual ignition operations available, and a peak voltage detection signal and a start-up voltage detection signal are obtained in accordance with a delayed reverse voltage portion of the output voltage from the generator coil. In a preset normal region speed or less in which a load is coupled to the engine, an ignition signal is output immediately after the peak voltage detection signal has been generated. In a normal region speed or more, an ignition signal is output after the duration of the ignition timing signal from the point in time of output of the cycle detection signal. At the time of start-up, an ignition signal is output in response to the start-up voltage detection signal according to the cycle detection signal. This eliminates the need of a coil for generating a timing signal and provides a safe start-up operation.